A blog of thoughts, inspiration, discussion from a student of Christian Science

Monday, April 02, 2007

Question: Practitioner and patient roles

Thanks for the nice response I got to the "Submit a Question" feature on Friday—keep 'em coming! I think what I’ll do is bring them to the blog, titling as above with "Question:" at the beginning. And, they'll all be tagged "Conversations" at the bottom. So, let’s get started.

In healing work, what is the role of the practitioner and what is the role of the patient?

I would LOVE to hear from others on this question, both practitioners and patients. Here’s my initial take, but everyone’s experience would be helpful to hear about. Please answer in the comments.

I find the answer to that question depends on who has the transformation of thought that leads to healing. In some cases, the practitioner has the transformation of thought. In others, the practitioner provides the mental assist and encouragement for the patient to have the transformation of thought.

When the practitioner’s transformation of thought effects the healing, and for me this has generally happened with children, animals, people brand new to the ideas, and those who need to feel the simplicity of God’s love in a new way, I feel this is divine Love’s way of using a healing experience to open the patient’s thought to a deeper understanding of Him. I’ve had many healings like this myself, especially in my younger days, where the practitioner I called opened the way for me to experience God’s goodness without my especially having to work for it. Even in those cases, though, I gained an increased confidence in God’s presence and power, and this paved the way for spiritual growth later.

There came a point, however, when my own spiritual maturity led to my needing to take the ball more myself, so to speak. It was time for me to learn new spiritual lessons that would give me dominion, rather than always having to rely on someone else’s support to get there. My relationship with practitioners through that period shifted remarkably. They took on more of a coaching role. While they still treated me, I became more aware of the importance of my own treatments for myself.

Now, my first question when faced with something personally is, what do I need to do so I can experience the transformation? I know each eventuality contains a spiritual lesson I need to learn. Calling a practitioner doesn’t let me off the hook. I will need to do the spiritual spade work, because that’s where I am on the learning curve. There are definitely still times when what I’m experiencing is so extreme that I reach for the phone, yet that never is all I need to do. I’m part of a healing team, and I need to play my position.

Please give your thoughts and experiences in the comments as well!

Your ideas and inspiration are welcome! Please comment below or Contact Laura.Email this posting to a friend with the envelope icon below.

4 Comments:

The only 'role' there is for either practitioner or patient is to step back and remember Christ. I once, early on in my practice, had an experience which taught me this. A mother had asked for help. Her daughter had been suffering from a stomach complaint and the doctor had said that he couldn’t help. I consented to pray and went willingly into my study to do the work. But the thought came to me: "Well!" I heard it in astonishment but it said again: "Well!" Then I got it. I was to look up to the Christ, the perfect man created after God's image and likeness. This likeness was and is always well. Then I just contemplated quietly for a while on the shining One as represented by Jesus. Soon after I heard that the child had risen from her bed of pain, dressed, eaten and that all was well indeed. Amen.

P.S. I must add that I had been in a very holy frame of mind as I had worked all day on recording the St. John Gospel and hymns for my mother.

Amen on keeping Christ central. It’s also about God as Love being all there is. Healings come best for me when Love occupies center stage. It’s Love being universal and ever present, and dwelling in that Love. This practitioner can always do a better job of seeing, hearing, being that Love. And of living the conviction of the consequent powerlessness of anything opposed to that Love.

I think for me as a patient, it depends on what the problem is. Sometimes I need my practitioner to give me a nudge in the right direction, and I don't even need specific treatment -- just a friendly voice at the other end of the line, reassuring me that it's going to be OK and offering me an idea or two to pray with. Other times, I'll call him up and say, "OK ... I've got a situation here, and I think it might be a little bit beyond what I can handle right now. I just need to know you've got my back." And then, for some things, I'll just feel so rotten that I can't even think for myself, and I'll call him up and wail, "FIX IT!"

He seems to know what I need when I call, too -- if it's something I can handle myself, he'll spend a long time discussing an idea with me so he's sure I get it. If it's something that requires prayerful support, but I can work on it on my own, too, he'll offer ideas and then say something like, "I'm here." And if I'm just utterly miserable, he'll say, "I understand. I've got you," and then he just hangs up and gets to work.

I don't know why I hesitated from commenting on this question...I think it was out of respect for everyone else's sense of their roles and how God was unfolding them to their hearts in such unique and individual ways...that said, you didn't ask us to define the role of pratitioner or patient for others...just to share something of how those roles have revealed themselves in our lives...so...

I guess I am a very internally visual person...I see things in "scenes"...and settings....

From the very beginning of my practice I have loved thinking of my "office" as a law office...and the Christ as the lawyer...I happen to be an awesome gal/guy friday...some mornings I spend quite a bit of my time in the law library (Bible) looking up precedent setting cases to remind the client (and the court room) of as the Christ (my boss) defends the client...sometimes I am at the reception desk taking phone calls and emails and assuring the client that my boss is "on the case"

Most of the time I see myself in the court room with the client as the Christ (in consciousness) is presenting the law (from SH) and the precedent setting cases (from the Bible) and I have my arm around the clients shoulders or I am holding his/her hand saying do you hear that...that's you He is talking about...that's your life that is so good...listen, look, see right there He is defending and upholidng with His wise and mighty certainty the perfection and dignity of His creation.

Now the funny part comes when I think of the setting...for me all this court room drama takes place on the porch of my cabin at camp...it's the practitioner's cabin and the front porch looks out at the most amazing vista of high mountain meadows and a range of mountains so exquisite it makes me weep...and I am standing there with the client looking out at that view and saying oh my gosh do you see how amazing God is and how perfect His creation is...there is His face...there are His hands, there is His handiwork...everywhere...

and sometimes I am the one someone else has their arms around reminding me...(that's when I am the patient...if that wasn't clear)...but either way it's about helping one another stay focused on how present and complete and perfect the view before us already is!